This invention relates to a connector which is mateable with a mating connector, and to a connector assembly.
Referring to FIGS. 36 to 38, JP-A 2004-55306 (Patent Document 1) discloses a connector 900 which is mateable with a mating connector 950 in an up-down direction, or in a Z-direction. The mating connector 950 is provided with mating terminals 960 and locked portions 970. The connector 900 comprises terminals 910, a holding member 920 and lock members 930. The holding member 920 holds the terminals 910 and the lock members 930. The terminals 910 are connected with the mating terminals 960, respectively, when the connector 900 is mated with the mating connector 950. Each of the lock members 930 has attached portions 932, a lock spring portion 934 and a lock portion 936. The attached portions 932 are attached to the holding member 920. In the up-down direction, the lock spring portion 934 extends upward, or in a positive Z-direction. The lock portion 936 is supported by the lock spring portion 934. When the connector 900 and the mating connector 950 are in a mated state where the connector 900 and the mating connector 950 are mated with each other, the lock portions 936 lock the mated state together with the locked portions 970.
The mating connector 950 is unmateable from the connector 900 in an unmating direction which is upward. The lock spring portion 934 of the connector 900 of Patent Document 1 extends upward, or in the positive Z-direction. Accordingly, when the mating connector 950 is forced in the unmating direction, or in the positive Z-direction, under the mated state where the connector 900 and the mating connector 950 are mated with each other, the lock spring portion 934 may be deformed outward in a Y-direction and thereby the lock of the lock portion 936 against the locked portion 970 may be easily released.
The mating connector 950 is mateable with the connector 900 in a mating direction which is downward. If the connector 900 of Patent Document 1 is modified so that the lock spring portion 934 extends downward, or in a negative Z-direction, the modified connector 900 is preferred because, when the mating connector 950 is forced in the unmating direction, or in the positive Z-direction, under a mated state where the modified connector 900 and the mating connector 950 are mated with each other, the modified lock spring portion 934 is deformed inward in the Y-direction so that a lock of the lock portion 934 against the locked portion 970 is firmly maintained. However, if the applied force to the mating connector 950, which is directed to the unmating direction, or to the positive Z-direction, is increased, the lock spring portion 934 might be plastically deformed to be broken.